Everyone has seen photos of picturesque houses with stunning furniture and decorations perfectly organized throughout. While these homes may only exist in magazines, the pictures certainly compel you to make an offer. When you're listing a home, you have to channel this sort of marketing and showcasing. Most people wouldn't give your home a thought if they see it on a normal day. For official photos and open houses, you'll have to depersonalize, clean, and organize—but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are some budget-friendly tips to help you stage your home.

Remove any personal photos or mementos.

If you've been living in your home for more than a few months, there's a good chance that every nook and cranny is full of personal items and mementos that make your house feel like home. Despite the character and comfort that these things bring to your home, potential buyers won't find them as meaningful. Family portraits, special gifts, and other personal belongings that are decorating your home need to be removed when staging for photos or an open house. Depersonalizing your home will make it more appealing to buyers, and you’ll have less to worry about in terms of packing up your home.

Give an accent wall an extra pop.

Fresh paint jobs can give any home a new look. But if you're operating under a budget, several gallons of paint may not be an option. One trick you can utilize without spending too much on paint is giving an accent wall a dark color. If you've got a wall with a focal point, like a fireplace or other important feature, you can make this area pop with the right color. A 30-ounce container of paint should be more than enough to cover a wall and can be bought on Amazon for under $20. This trick will help give your home extra flare in photos and open houses without costing too much.

Rent a storage unit to house larger items.

One of the most important factors in staging a home is openness. Visitors won't be interested in a home that is too cluttered or disorganized. Furthermore, some potential buyers may leave if there are too many people at the open house to move comfortably. A lack of space can also make a home’s photos less attractive. To achieve this sense of space, you may have to get rid of some larger items such as dressers and shelves temporarily. Renting a storage unit is a great way to accomplish this goal without having to cough up too much money. Units in Weston cost an average of $113.66, but if you search for deals, you can find one for much cheaper (e.g., you can find a 5’x10’ unit for under $30).

Give the bathrooms a face-lift.

If your bathrooms are in a state of disarray, you have to make some changes if you want to have a lot of interested buyers. Even if the rest of your home is pristine, dirty or mishandled, bathrooms can be a turnoff for many people looking for a home. If a complete renovation isn’t within your budget, focus on changing the most apparent components of the bathroom. Paint old cabinets a new color, replace some of the major hardware, and fill in any cracks or dents. When showing a bathroom to potential buyers, a little effort can go a long way.

Selling a home isn’t as easy as posting photos online and inviting interested buyers to an open house. There is some major preparation involved with staging a home to be in showing condition. Fortunately, you can still depersonalize and declutter a home even when you’re on a tight budget.

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